1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to generally to telephony and being able to automatically determine call service requests. More particularly, the invention relates to methods and apparatus for automatically determining a call service request in a first communications device based on predefined call criteria; and for forwarding the call service request determination to a second communications device which applies the service to the call based on the type of call service request.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Call centers are useful and effective communication tools for many diverse industries. For example, airline and travel businesses use call centers for reservation services. Media, cable, and telephone companies use call centers for outbound promotional sales and inbound repair and other services. Other types of inbound and outbound call center capabilities are used by brokerage houses, banks, and financial institutions.
The key to managing a successful call center is maximizing available resources and agent productivity. An Automatic Call Distribution (ACD) system ensures that incoming calls are distributed evenly, so agent productivity is maintained at a high level, and inbound callers are handled efficiently.
Utilizing an ACD system it is possible to handle a high volume of incoming calls more efficiently and effectively, improving overall productivity. An ACD system can also alleviate call bottlenecks, enabling an ACD operation to be streamlined, aid operations management, and enhance a company's image by improving customer service.
An ACD system manages incoming calls by answering the calls on a “first-come, first-served” basis. Agents answer them either on a “most-idle-first” or “next-available-first” basis. This ensures that calls are evenly distributed over an answering group while maximizing agent productivity. An ACD system also allows overflow calls to be automatically directed to another call answering group whenever necessary.
ACD systems are frequently coupled with Interactive Voice Response (IVR) systems. The IVR systems prompt the caller to input (using a telephone keypad) information which is used to process the call.
For example, in a banking environment, an IVR may prompt the caller to input an account number. In a customer service environment, the IVR may offer a menu of frequently asked questions and answers.
State of the art IVR and ACD systems interact with the ACD controlling. That is, when the ACD determines that an agent is available, it pulls the call from the IVR and connects it with an agent. This can be disadvantageous if the IVR is in the process of completing a “critical transaction”. A critical transaction may be defined in different ways by different system administrators. It is essentially a transaction which is preferably not interrupted by an ACD. For example, an input of account number may be considered a critical transaction.